'Grim Sleeper' Suspect Arrested
Posted By Goldstein Law Offices on Jul 8, 2010 2:03pm PDT
25 years ago, South Los Angeles saw the first of at least 10 murders, all by the same man. Eight of the homocides occurred between 1985 and 1988. The killer then took a 13 year hiatus, earning him the nickname the "Grim Sleeper." In 2002, a 15 year old girl was found naked, beaten, and strangled. DNA evidence pointed to the same serial killer from the 1980s. Two more women were killed in the next 5 years. One woman survived the rape and attempted murder and was able to give a description to the police. It did not help catch the killer, until now.
LAPD had DNA evidence that linked a younger man to the Grim Sleeper. He was too young to have committed the crimes, but his father was not. Police began investigating Lonnie David Franklin, Jr., and were able to obtain enough DNA from a discarded pizza crust to run tests. When the results came back, it was a match.
Franklin is now in prison and is being charged with 10 counts of murder and 1 count of attempted murder. There is another death that police believe is connected, but have not formally charged Franklin for. If convicted, he could be sentenced to capital punishment.
If you have been charged with a violent crime such as homocide,
contact a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney
at the Goldstein Law Group. We have successfully represented clients with all types of criminal charges.